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The Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa, located in American Canyon, California is an eco-hotel which has strong environmental creditentials.

Environmental initiatives including:

• Paints: Low VOC paints were used throughout the hotel.

• Carpet: Their carpets contain post consumer recycled material in the backing, fibre and pad.
• Stone: All restrooms use recycled tiles and granite.
• Water: The project achieved a water use reduction of about 40%.
• Solar panel: Solar panels provides 12% of our electricity.

The Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa is also a Gold LEED Certified hotel.

San Francisco’s newest and ‘greenest’ hotel – the Orchard Garden Hotel – is one of California’s first hotels built to the specifications of the “Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design” (LEED®) Green Building Rating System from the US Green Building Council in order to earn its coveted LEED certification.

As proud sister to the award-winning Orchard Hotel, the $25 million Orchard Garden is a short stroll from Union Square shops and theatres, blocks away from the Financial District dealmakers and San Francisco’s legendary cable cars, and just steps from the Chinatown Gates. Eighty-six deluxe guest rooms on ten floors, elegant boardroom, inviting rooftop garden and superb restaurant combine graceful luxury with state-of-the-art design in an intimate, residential atmosphere. Works by locally renowned artists are proudly featured in the welcoming lobby and throughout the entire hotel.

The Orchard Garden’s ‘green’ practices also include chemical-free cleaning products, a 100% tobacco-free environment, recycled paper and soy-based inks. The hotel also proudly debuts San Francisco’s first guestroom key card energy control system, similar to European and Asian systems.

Stylish, eco-friendly guest rooms have been designed with comfort in mind. Each of the hotel’s 82 deluxe guest rooms and four junior suites designed by Architecture International is decorated in natural wood tones and light, fresh colors and include:

• One king-size or two double beds with 100% washable Egyptian cotton linens, plush coverings and feather down pillows
• Oversized working desk with excellent lighting, dual-line cordless phone and high speed Internet and Wi-Fi access
• Large-screen LCD flat panel HD television
• iPod docking station with alarm clock and radio
• State-of-the-art DVD and CD player, all with stereo sound and remote control
• Safes in all closets
• Individual climate control

Roots Restaurant is a small, stylish restaurant located in the Orchard Garden Hotel, perfect for business lunches, pre-theater appetizers or romantic dinners. Roots proudly serves contemporary American cuisine with a Mediterranean flair and is committed to featuring local produce, naturally raised meats and sustainable seafood whenever possible. The cozy bar is a great spot for cocktails.

The Cedar House Sport Hotel is luxury hotel located in the Martis Valley, California, USA. Combining innovative design with eco-credentials guests have 42 rooms and suites to choose from – click here to find out more about the accommodation.  Facilities onsite include a bar, outdoor spa, meeting room and complimentary Wi-Fi available throughout hotel.

The Hotel has been designed and developed around sustainable principles.  Green initiatives include:

• Light fixtures on the property are fluorescent or low voltage, there are no incandescent lights

• All lights have photo sensors and timers on them

• A green roof covers the reception / check-in area

Travelodge, the UK’s fastest growing budget hotel chain, is pioneering a new construction method that will cut millions of pounds from the cost of its hotel development strategy.

Travelodge predicts its innovative strategy of building hotels using modified shipping containers will enable the chain to cut 10% from the cost of each build, and improve construction speed by 25%.

The budget company is using the technique to build a new hotel in Uxbridge town centre. Uxbridge Travelodge will also be the first hotel in Europe to be constructed in this way.

The modules, built specifically for the task in China, create a spacious, well-insulated and architecturally exciting development. They will be fitted into a steel frame, bolted together and arranged over the eight floors of the site. Once decorated, furnished and the buildings exterior is cladded, the rooms will look and feel no different to the hotel chain’s other hotels.

Travelodge, which serves over 6.5 million customers each year and operates 318 UK hotels, is targeting a 10% share of the total UK hotel market by the end of the next decade. This ambitious goal has seen the budget hotel chain step up its openings programme, with plans to add on average 4,000 rooms (approx 40 hotels) every year up to 70,000 rooms (around 1000 hotels) by 2020.

The company is exploring every avenue to help it achieve this goal – including innovative methods of construction that enable it to reduce build costs and create hotels faster than traditional methods allow.

Paul Harvey, Travelodge’s Director of Property & Development, said: “We see this method of construction as a viable way for us to achieve our ambitious growth targets. We believe that almost half of our new hotels over the next 12 years could be built in this way. The method also presents interesting recycling options given the steel containers can be reused or melted down. On the basis of environmental life cycle modelling, we know modular construction is environmentally friendly so there is tremendous benefit on a number of levels.”

Mark Allies, Managing Director of George & Harding added: “Despite the logistical and physical constraints of the Travelodge Uxbridge site, George and Harding have demonstrated the flexibility and adaptability of the modular system. The modules are cost effective yet durable, easily transported, stackable and reusable and make absolute sense for businesses like Travelodge, as well as student accommodation and urban housing.”

Paul Blackmore, Managing Director, Verbus Systems: “We have been very impressed by the forward thinking approach of Travelodge in engaging in new approaches seen in other industries to deliver cost, time and environmental benefits to their growth targets. The Verbus System is the first major advance in construction technology for 100 years, since the introduction of the steel frame.”

The Uxbridge Travelodge, due to open in June, has 120 bed rooms and a Bar Café - a location for guests to relax and will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner. Room prices will start at just £19 per room, per night, in line with other Travelodge hotels.

Grand Hyatt Dubai has made the revolutionary decision to convert its main water heating system from diesel oil-fired to solar powered in a bid to reduce climate change and running costs.

With the UAE’s carbon footprint spiralling, causing the country to be the second largest emitter of CO² per capita in the world, Grand Hyatt Dubai’s new solar panel heating system will reduce its own emissions dramatically.

“This is the first commercial installation of its kind in the UAE, and probably the largest in the whole of Europe, the Middle East and Africa,” said Phil Barnett, Grand Hyatt Dubai’s Director of Engineering.

The solar panels are installed on the roof of the Grand Cineplex, with each solar panel producing up to a kilowatt of energy each per hour. The plant as a whole will produce 800 to 1,000 kilowatts of energy per hour.

“The spiralling cost of diesel – which has doubled in price in two years – was another factor in our decision to install the plant,” said Mr Barnett. “We expect the plant to pay for itself in just three years.”

Hyatt and Hyatt International have taken on a worldwide initiative to install environmentally friendly equipment and resource saving energy conservation.

“The success of this initiative will become proof that Hyatt throughout the world takes climate change seriously and will be taking action to protect the environment and ensure healthy clean air and energy waste reduction,” said Mr Barnett.

“We have already dropped the water consumption of Grand Hyatt Dubai by 120,000 gallons a day. Sewage effluent from the hotel goes through a purification system, and we then use it as the water for our cooling towers.”

“We used to put drinking water in our cooling towers as a cost of 35 fils per gallon. The cost of using treated sewage effluent for the purpose has reduced the cost to 10 fils per gallon, but more importantly has saved more than 800,000 gallons of drinking water a week,” said Mr Barnett.

Grand Hyatt Dubai’s switchover to solar power happened in mid-September.

Located in the heart of the city, the 674-room Grand Hyatt Dubai is one of the Middle East’s premier City Conference Resorts. Authentic cuisines and entertainment are available at the 14 restaurants and bars, while its state-of-the-art Convention Centre is capable of facilitating up to 2,000 delegates theatre style. Set within the 37 acres of landscaped grounds, The Grand Spa offers a wealth of luxury resort facilities.

About Global Hyatt Corporation
Global Hyatt Corporation, one of the world’s premier hotel companies, offers today’s travellers over 735 hotels and resorts (over 136,000 rooms) in more than 44 countries.  The company’s affiliates own, operate, manage and franchise Hyatt branded hotels and resorts under the Park Hyatt®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Resorts®, Hyatt®, Hyatt Place™ and Hyatt Summerfield Suites® brands.  Global Hyatt Corporation is also the owner of Hyatt Vacation Ownership, Inc. operator of the Hyatt Vacation Club and fractional residential properties and U.S. Franchise Systems, Inc., which franchises Hawthorn Suites and Microtel Inns and Suites.

Rolling up the ‘Green Slieves’ to protect the environment.

November 2007/…The Slieve Donard Resort and Spa has launched a pioneering new project in partnership with the Mourne Heritage Trust to help protect the environment through cutting back on energy consumption within the hotel.

With 175 bedrooms and 16 function rooms as well as restaurants, bars and kitchens, energy usage within the hotel is considerable, so this project presented a great opportunity for conservation while also cutting back on utility bills like electricity and gas.

Deputy General Manager at the Slieve Donard, Ciaran Murtagh, who has led the initiative, commented: “As a business operating in an era when climate change and protecting the environment are very high on the agenda, it’s more important than ever before that we are environmentally aware.  We developed the initiative in consultation with the Mourne Energy Trust – who helped us make the changes necessary throughout the hotel – buy-in was necessary from all staff within the hotel – from the kitchen staff, to house keeping and gardeners!”

A composter was purchased which the staff named ‘Big Hannah’! The composter breaks down all leftover food and when mixed with grass, makes a very fertile compost! Expect the roses in the grounds of the Slieve Donard to bloom even more in the coming months!  A bailer compacts cardboard, paper and plastic, while a glass crusher recycles bottles, jars and other glass items.

Investment in this energy saving equipment has minimised the amount of waste going to landfill sites as well as helping the environment through recycling.   As a bonus, the hotel makes considerable savings on things like skip hire – which were previously emptied at a cost of £1000 per week.  It is anticipated that the cost of the composter, compactor, glass crusher and bailer (which combined represent a cost of £70,000) will pay for themselves in three years.

The Hotel also receives advice on boiler emissions, electricity and air conditioning, so new units are made as energy efficient as possible.

Guests have not been left out of the project and their assistance was enlisted through awareness leaflets at reception and in every bedroom.  Some of the energy saving tips that were recommended to guests include:

• Ensure radiators are turned off when windows are open

• Use key cards to activate power in the rooms, when needed

• Take a shower instead of a bath

• Leave towels which need laundered in the bath, otherwise re-use

• Beds to be changed every two days when guests stay longer than one night

The Slieve Donard Resort and Spa has just been awarded a ‘Green Accreditation’ from the Trust - testament to our awareness and contribution to helping the environment through conscientious management of our waste.

Following the success of the Slieve Donard, Hastings Hotels hopes to roll out the initiative across the other five hotels Group.

Soneva Fushi aims to be Carbon Free by 2010, Spearheading Carbon Emission Strategies in the Maldives

Six Senses’ Hub Bangkok, June, 2007: The core purpose of Six Senses Resorts & Spas is to create innovative and enriching experiences in a sustainable environment. So it is no surprise that its flagship resort - Soneva Fushi, in the Maldives – is the first of the group’s properties to implement a programme to offset its guests’ flight emissions. The first step will make Soneva Fushi carbon neutral by 2008, and then ramp up to the next step which will result in Soneva Fushi being carbon free by 2010.

The resort is a main contributor to the Six Senses Carbon Offset Fund, which initially will support the Converging World project. This project establishes alternative energy production methods - such as wind turbines, in communities of developing countries before they become dependent on energy from fossil fuels. The first initiative is in Tamil Nadu India, and has the potential to be implemented in the Maldives and other locations.

However, this is just the beginning of the Six Senses Zero Emissions Objective commitment to sustainable development and to the environment. In addition to developing climate-sympathetic accommodations which use local materials, as well as reducing some food transportation energy by growing fresh produce in its own organic gardens, the resort has gone one step further in its commitment to the environment. It engaged the British environmental engineering and design consultancy, XCO2, in early 2005, to move towards powering the entire Soneva Fushi property with zero-carbon energy. The project is under the leadership of Mr. Juergen E. Seidel, Six Senses group director of property maintenance.

Both XCO2 and Six Senses put emphasis on the gradual replacement of finite energy carriers such as fossil diesel, with renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and tidal power, and deep sea water cooling. The initial feasibility study resulted in a three-stage strategy for reducing diesel consumption for energy, cooling, lighting and water efficiency. For example, by initially adding energy and heat recovery systems as well as reducing wastage and loss, up to 30% of the current energy used is expected to be saved.

Initiatives that have already been carried out, or are about to be, are making further use of the island location. Seawater intake from boreholes and/or deep wells for a reverse osmosis desalination plant with an energy recovery pressure intake system would be expected to reduce 30% of energy usage with a 40% water production increase.

As innovators in creating architecture and décor using natural materials, Six Senses Creative team is working on energy efficient architectural designs that provide additional roof ventilation, cross ventilation, and passive and active cooling. High-R insulation materials, and double glazed windows with low radiation glass that allows less ultra violet rays to pass through, would be incorporated. Additionally, the use of biodiesel – derived essentially from coconut meat - is being considered, not only as a fuel for the fleet of water craft, but also as an alternative to diesel fuel imports for back-up and residual electricity needs at the resort. Land vehicles could be converted to battery power or fuel cell units.

The ultimate goal is to achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gasses by January 2008 and to use no fossil-fuel-derived energy sources by 2010.

Some of the technical solutions – either singularly or in combination - that will enable the resort to reach these targets include power generation with tri-generation (power, heat and steam recovery). This system will recover waste, heat and use this to provide all the resort’s hot water requirements. Furthermore, the steam generated will be channeled to an absorption chiller that will produce 7oC water. The water will be used for air-conditioning the buildings located near the power house.

The guest villas could be air-conditioned by using deep sea water cooling, (DSWC), which makes use of the chilled water from 300 meters below the tropical surface waters—where the seawater is 11.5oC,  whilst solar hot water and solar photo-voltaic can be generated at Heart-of-House areas on roofs of host housing. Additionally, small and medium wind turbines can be used as direct feed power supply.

Future possibilities that are being considered for the 2010 zero carbon emission goal are the installation of a large wind turbine on the neighbouring island of Eydhafushi that could generate energy for the resort while also supporting the community of that island as well. Solar, tidal and wave technologies which could also be used as an asset for generating power, heat, and steam/cooling for air-conditioning are also being considered.

In summation, in its quest for integrated and sustainable energy management, Six Senses Resorts & Spas is dedicated to energy innovations that will enrich and sustain the environment.  Its flagship resort – Soneva Fushi – is the initial proving ground.

A note from Andy Thesen, co-owner of Hermitage Bay in Antigua. This post illustrates how tourism businesses can minimise their impact on the environment.

“Hermitage Bay forms part of an area of hundreds of acres of untouched land. Someone, we know not who, came here a long time ago and named it. As the name suggests it is a place of tranquillity and peace. We embarked on this project with a real sense of the responsibility we had to retain the spirit of the place. This theme runs through everything we do, be it, land clearing by hand in a non-invasive manner, or using sustainably grown timber throughout, thereby minimising the use of construction materials with high embodied energy such as concrete or steel, or using solar energy for water heating. This also continues in the day-to-day, for example, we go out of our way to source locally grown organic fruit and vegetables.

What has been extraordinary for me about this site is how it demands a gentle hand, it demands that man made noises are minimised so that natural noises prevail; the waves on the beach, the breeze in the trees and the chatter of the birds. It is the perfect antidote to modern, hectic life - a true hermitage.

As this suggests we have gone out of our way to minimise the impact the hotel has on the environment. We cleared all the land with machetes and retained as much of the existing vegetation as possible and then planted flowers and shrubs to enhance it. I am interested by birds and was struck by the scarcity of birds in the brush on the hillside when I first visited in 2003. In the last year the number of birds in the vicinity has increased dramatically due to the flowers. We now have many humming birds including the Antillean Crested Hummingbird, bananaquits and flycatchers. We also have a large and healthy mangrove lagoon adjoining the property that has many water birds hidden in the dense foliage. The lagoon covers in excess of 50 acres and is an intriguing eco system of its own. Local fishermen wade in to seek out cockles which we use as ingredients in the kitchen. The lagoon is full of upside down jellyfish which have a symbiotic relationship with the mangrove. the cockle fishermen actually feel with their bare feet to find the cockles but wear two pairs of trousers to try and protect themselves from jelly fish slime that irritates the skin.

In terms of construction we have used wood almost entirely from sustainably managed forests in Guyana. We have used Purpleheart and Greenheart on the floors and decks, crab wood for the doors and windows and walaba shingle on the roofs. There is no steel used in the construction of the rooms and only a small amount of concrete is used for pads on which to attach timber posts. The embodied energy consumed for the construction of the entire hotel is therefore very low. There is also no glass. We used solar energy for water heating and plan to explore solar photovoltaics. We also benefit from a fairly constant breeze and I would like to explore small wind turbines on the back of our hill, out of sight.

We source most of our fruit and vegetables from local suppliers thereby minimising food miles and tend to serve seasonal products in the restaurant. A lot of the products we use are organic. We recycle all kitchen and restaurant waste to a local pig farmer who in turn supplies us with pork.

We have gone out of our way to employ people from the local village and have had a significant impact on the local micro-economy.

Our chef has a great relationship with the sea fishermen who call him when they are coming in with a catch and he meets them at the dock and has first choice of the fresh fish.

We have had turtles hatching out on the beach and staff, including me and my daughter, have attended turtle awareness workshops run by the local environmental Awareness Group. We have subdued lighting throughout the resort which is good for the turtles on the beach but is also great for looking at the night sky. The milky way is very clear at times and there are millions upon millions of stars!

We have fantastic walks and treks near to the hotel because there is very little development around our hotel. You can come across wild orchids on the hills and mango, grapefruit, dums and many more fruit trees.”

To find out more about Hermitage Bay please click here.

Hermitage Bay located in Antigua provides luxury accommodation for guests. Andy Thesen, one of the owners of Hermitage Bay, provides an overview of some of the environmental initiatives they have introduced to reduce their impact on the environmental. Environmental initiatives include:

• Using sustainably grown timber, mostly from Guyana, during the construction phase;

• Sourcing locally grown organic fruit and vegetables, which minimizes the food miles;

• Where possible food waste is recycled on a local pig farm and

• Solar panels are used to heat the water

To find out more about Hermitage Bay please visit their website here.

Radisson SAS Hotel, Edinburgh has announced that all meetings and events will now be ‘carbon neutral’  at no additional cost to the end user.  Importantly, the hotel has employed a member of staff to focus on environmental issues.